Flexible fire-resisting curtain.



E. HQ MCGL-OUD. FLEXIBLE FIRE BBSISTING. GUBTAIN. APP'LIGATIOH FILED Hum, 199'5. :Bnsnwpn un; '1, 1907.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

"(7v Lowe @wd UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

EDWARD HARRISON MCCLOUD, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FLEXIBLE FIRE-RESISTING CURTAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application led February 9, 1905, Serial No. 244,992. `Renewed January 7, 1907. Serial No. 351,226.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, EDWARD HARRISON MCCLOUD, a citizen of the United States, residing at 209 South Monroe avenue, Columbus, county of Franklin, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flexible Fire-Itesisting Curtains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

structed of slats of tubular form having their opposite sides formed of separate strips of metal is subjected to the heat of fire at one side," the 'sides of the slats exposed to greater heat expand at a greater rate.

The particular purpose of this invention,

therefore, is to providemeans whereby the metal `sides of the sl'at are held together but are permitted to move longitudinally one upon the other, when subjected to great heat, as from a near-by fire. In the accompanying drawing-Figure 1 1s a perspective view of a portion of a `curtain containing my present improvement, one of the washers being removed; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on theline .af- Fig. 1.

In said Views a1 designates the heat-retarding medium, which is incased between two metallic sidel pieces or strips c2 and a3 that are secured together but so as to be capable of sliding longitudinally with reference to each other when subjected to great heat.

In the particular instance of Slat here shown the side a2 is formed on a reverse curve atthat terminates in an open ellipse. The lower edge of the side a3 is formed semicircular and terminates in an inward bend, as seen at a5. The curved portion a4 and the bend a5 of adjoining slats form a hinge joint permitting the curtain to be flexed andi'olled up upon a roller. But in practicing my present invention I do not confine myself to the use of the particular joint for the slats just described, as any other suitable form'of joint may be adopted. The particular form of joint which I have just described is disclosed in my patent of the United States No. 806,174, dated December 5, 1905.

As before indicated, a curtain of this character will ordinarily have V`but one side exposed to the action of fire and the metallic slat by means of a bolt or rivet, as at a6,-

having-one end securely ixed in one of the .pieces or strips, as a2, and the other end extending through a slot a7 extending longitudinally of the slat, as c3. The end of the rivet in the slat a3 is headed on a metallic washer a covering the slot; but with the said riveted head of larger diameter than the vslot thc washer can be omitted.

While it is better to secure the rivet at one end and in one of the slats, with its other end projecting through a slot in the other slat, I do not conine myself to this particular construction.

IVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

, 1. A flexible curtain constructed mainly of a plurality of slats or sections hinged together each Slat or section composed of two metallic sides, .a heat-retarding medium between said sides, and means securing said sides together but permitting the-m to slide longitudinally with reference to each other.

2. A flexible fire resisting curtain composed mainly of interlocking slats, each of said slats having a heat-resisting medium, two metallic sides inclosing said heat-resisting medium, one of said sides provided with a longitudinally extending slot and a headed securing device to engage the outer sides of said s slats and having its shank passed through said slot and fixedly connected to the opposite side to hold said slats together, but permit them to expand longitudinally independently of each other.

3. A, flexible fire resisting curtain composed mainly of interlocking slats, each slat having a heat-resisting medium, two metallic sides inclosing said heat-resisting medium, one of sa1d sides provided with a longitudinally extending slot, a headed securlng device extending through said slot and fixedly secured to the opposite side, and a washer-like piece between the head of said securing device and the slot of the slotted side to cover said slot.

4. A slat for the construction of flexible curtains constructed of two strips or sides .of sheet metal and with means at the edges I posed between said strips or sides, and

means tying said sides together but permitting said sides to expand longitudinally independently of each other.

5. A slat for the construction of exible curtains constructed of two strips or sides of sheet metal and with means at the edges of y EDWARD HARRISON MCCLOUD.

Witnesses:

CARL LEON CRANDELLE, ESTELLE OREWILER. 

